The Third Generation of Love
by PrincessofDarkness11
Summary: Watch as Harry and Draco's sons, Albus and Scorpius, become friends and then lovers, causing havoc and mayhem for all of those around them! DH Compliant! SLASH! EXPLICIT!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own it bitches

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it bitches!

**Author's Note:** So…. I found some pics of this ship on the net, and now I have to write a fanfiction. It's officially my, like, second or third favorite pairing… lol. (Gotta take Snarry and HPDM into account, after all…) So here we go!

**A/N2: **Completely DH compliant… _**SPOILER ALERT!!**_

**Prologue**

**XXX**

First Year

Albus Severus Potter was situated in the very back of the train, reading his copy of "Hogwarts: A History". His aunt Hermione had bought it for him last year and he'd already read it four times, at least. But it was his favorite book.

He got so lost within its pages that it was no surprise that he didn't notice when another person entered the compartment until they spoke.

"Excuse me…"

Al looked up to see a boy with platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes. He smiled welcomingly at the person his uncle Ron had already identified as Scorpius Malfoy. "Hi! I'm Albus. You can call me Al, though."

"I'm Scorpius. Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

"Nope! Go ahead," Al said, "I've been pretty bored. So, why didn't you get a compartment earlier?"

"I did. But some third year boy came in with his friends and started picking on me and kicked me out," Scorpius replied, "I don't think I'm going to like school very much."

"Why?" Al asked, marking his place and closing the book.

"People don't like me. My father says it's 'cause he did bad things when he was young," Scorpius said.

"Well, _I_ like you," Al said, "I don't care that your dad is Draco Malfoy."

Scorpius relaxed and smiled a little, relieved that he'd found at least on ally. "Thanks…"

"Dad told me that Mr. Malfoy tried to make things right in the end and that he did a lot of good stuff to make up for the bad stuff," Al continued, "So he's gotta be an okay guy."

"He _is_," Scorpius said, grinning, "I hope I'm in Slytherin, just like my dad."

"I _have_ to be in Gryffindor. My whole family was in Gryffindor. My grandparents, Mum, Dad, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, _and_ my big brother," Al said, sighing.

"Slytherin's not so bad, though. Mum says that since Harry Potter saved us all, Slytherin has gotten loads better," Scorpius said, "Besides, it'd be nice if we could be in the same House…"

Al grinned. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

They spent the remainder of the train ride discussing classes, Houses, and- a favorite topic- Quidditch. Soon enough, they had changed into their robes and were being taken across the lake in boats. Albus had smiled brightly and waved when he saw Hagrid and, when Scorpius gave him a queer look, said that he was a family friend.

The first years were called out, one-by-one, by the Deputy Headmaster, Neville Longbottom, to be Sorted. When he called for Scorpius Malfoy, Albus smiled reassuringly and gave him a little nudge.

The hat was on his head for nearly a full minute before shouting "SLYTHERIN!"With a relieved sigh, he joined his housemates and anxiously awaited his new friend's turn.

"Albus Potter!" Neville called, and the Great Hall fell silent at the last name.

Albus walked nervously onto the platform and the hat was placed on his head.

"Another Potter, eh?" he heard the hat say, "Well, I daresay you're just like your father. Much more so than that older brother of yours… yes… we can expect great things from you, as well. I suppose _you_ don't want Slytherin either, then?"

"Er… I don't really mind. Scorpius is in Slytherin, so… I dunno," Al said, "But everybody expects me to be in Gryffindor, don't they?"

"Oh, blast them all! Where do _you_ want to go?"

"I think I'd like to be in Slytherin…"

"Well, then… good choice. SLYTHERIN!"

There was a shocked silence while Al made his way to the Slytherin table to sit with Scorpius. Even Neville was staring, stricken. McGonagal cleared her throat loudly, bringing everybody back to their senses.

"I think I surprised everyone…" Al said, grinning.

The last to be Sorted was Rose Weasley, who became the final addition to Ravenclaw.

"Do you think your dad will be angry that you're not a Gryffindor?" Scorpius asked.

Al smiled, thinking about the secret that his dad had told him at the Platform. "No. I think he'll be just fine with it."

Dinner passed by quickly. They talked to a couple other boys in their year, Andrew Clemington and Julian Dawes, as well as a girl, Elizabeth Devereaux. Andrew was an outgoing prankster with spiky light brown hair and hazel eyes, whereas Julian was rather soft-spoken with sandy blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Elizabeth had dark hair and dark eyes, which she attributed to her Italian roots, and shared Al's love of books.

At the end of the day, when they were in their beds and on the verge on sleep, Scorpius turned toward Albus and whispered, "Al?"

"Hm?"

"I think I'm going to like school…"

"Al! Albus, wake up!" Scorpius said, shaking the boy, "You can't be late for the first day of classes!"

"Five more minutes, Mum…" Al muttered, turning over.

"I'll wake him up…" Andy said, flinging a pillow in his face.

"What the-?! What was _that_ for?" Al exclaimed.

"It's breakfast time!" Andy said, grinning.

They trekked down to the Great Hall together, Al, Scorpius, Andy, Julian, and Liz, chattering excitedly about their classes. Yes… _down_ to the Great Hall. You see, the new Head of Slytherin House absolutely refused to live in the dungeons, so the Slytherin dorms were moved to the West Tower, near the professor's quarters. Potions class, however, was still held in the dungeons, as the dark, damp climate was the best for brewing.

"Al!" a voice called as they approached the doors.

"Rose!" Al exclaimed, running toward her, "What's up?"

"Oh… it's not good, Al," she said, bouncing nervously on her feet, "James is _really_ upset that you're not in Gryffindor."

"But… it's not like I got a choice!" Al said, "I just got put there. And it's not so bad. I already made lots of friends. Oh yeah! Guys, this is Rose Weasley. Rosie, this is Scorpius, Andy, Julian, and Liz."

They exchanged enthusiastic hellos and entered the Great Hall, sitting down just in time for the morning post. They each got a letter from their parents, and Al swallowed convulsively as he opened his.

'_Al,  
Don't worry. Minerva already told us that you were Sorted into Slythering. Mum and I are fine with it. Personally, I couldn't be more proud. Slytherin is a good house, no matter what Uncle Ron says. Don't let your brother hassle you too much, as I'm sure he's bound to do. Your mother sends her love, as do I, and says that she expects a detailed letter about how your first day of classes goes. Tell Nev we say hi!  
Love,  
Dad  
P.S. Use the map and cloak well and don't spend too much time with your nose in a book. You'll miss out on loads of adventures!'_

Albus grinned as he folded the letter and started on his breakfast with a much lighter heart. He glanced over at Scorpius and saw that he was looking rather smug.

"Good news from home?" he asked.

"My dad's really proud. Mum says that they would've been proud even if I was a Hufflepuff," Scorpius replied, smiling, "But I know that Dad was hoping for Slytherin. What about your folks?"

"Oh, they're proud alright. Dad says that Slytherin is a really good house," Al said.

"Albus!" James said, walking over to him.

"Al! That's the boy who was picking on me on the train…" Scorpius whispered.

"James? You can't be serious…" Al said.

"Hey, Al. Mum and Dad said can't bully you about being in Slytherin. And I won't. But hanging out with _little Malfoy_?" James said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Leave Scorpius alone, James!" He hasn't done anything to you!" AL said, glaring at his brother.

"He doesn't have to. His dad did enough for the both of them," James sneered.

"Don't talk about my dad that way!" Scorpius growled.

"Let's go. We've got classes," Al said, pulling Scorpius out of the Great Hall.

When they were out of there, Scorpius sighed. "See what I mean? People don't like me much."

"Don't worry about it. James is just being a prat. I'll talk to him…" Al said, "He doesn't know it, but Dad already taught me a few wicked hexes."

Scorpius laughed and they made their way to Potions class.

At the end of the day, Al sent a letter to his Dad, telling him all about his new friends and his classes.

'_Dad,  
Hogwarts is even better than you said! It's amazing! And I already have lots of friends. My BEST BEST friend is Scorpius Malfoy. I don't know if you should tell Mum and Uncle Ron… they don't like the Malfoys very much, do they? But he's really cool! He already knows a lot about Defense Against the Dark Arts. He says his dad taught him about it. And there's Andy and Julian and Liz, too. Andy is really loud and he kinda reminds me of Uncle George. He's already got detention, can you believe it? Julian is really quiet, but he's really nice and wicked funny. Liz is totally awesome! She's read "Hogwarts: A History" too! Probably more than me! Rosie has lots of friends, too.  
Classes were great. History of Magic is interesting, but the Professor is really, really boring. I like Transfiguration and Charms. Luna's still kinda spacey, but she teaches well enough, and Professor Flitwick is really nice. I told Neville that you said hi, and he says hi back, and that he'll see you over Christmas Holiday. I like Defense Against the Dark Arts a lot. Professor Mickey is crazy, though. He was a Hufflepuff! I can't believe it! He doesn't act like one at all! My favorite class is Potions though. Professor Illusen is the Slytherin Head of House, and he's really easy to talk to.  
Hagrid says hi too, by the way.  
Don't tell Mum about Scorpius. Please? Or Uncle Ron. ESPECIALLY Uncle Ron. I don't think they'd take it very well… but if you do, then I guess you can. I just don't think it's a good idea. I don't have anything else to say… so I'll leave it at that. Tell Mum I love her.  
Love,  
Al.'_

XXX

End of Prologue. Sorry that it's in first year. The next chapter skips ahead to sixth year. So it'll start getting good. Lol. If you REVIEW, I shall love you forever and give you lots of cyber-cookies!!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own it and… stuff like that

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it and… stuff like that. Making no money… you know the rest.

**A/N:** Here's chapter one. The story begins…. Mwah hahahahaha!

**A/N2:** This chapter is dedicated to a really talented author, **Avenging Angel**, for her story, of which I am now a HUGE fan, **Divorce, disaster, and denial**. It's a Lucius/Harry story and it's beautifully written! Check it out. Seriously, I'm addicted…. Lol.

**Chapter One**

**XXX**

Sixth Year

"Professor Illusen!" Albus called for his Head of House, Gabriel Illusen, Potions Master and Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Yes, Albus?" Illusen said, coming to a halt and turning to the boy.

"I was just wondering," he said once he'd caught up, "if you could recommend a good book on the properties and uses of dragon's blood in potions."

He raised an eyebrow at the strange request.

Al blushed. "I wanted to start some early research on my N.E.W.T. Potions project."

Gabriel smiled. "There are none that are worth anything in the school's library. However, I may be able to help you. Follow me."

They walked into his office and Al sat down on the sofa, making himself comfortable. He'd been in the Gabriel's- or Gabe, as Albus preferred to call him in private- office many times in the last six years, to talk to the older man who had become a sort of mentor for the boy. He felt bad for not confiding in his parents or his friends, but there were certain things that he just felt more comfortable discussing with Gabe.

"Here we are. It was written by the previous Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore… the man for whom you were named," Gabriel said, handing him the book and taking a seat," Now… what are you _really_ here for?"

"Well… Scorpius' birthday is this summer. He's turning seventeen and I want to do something special for him, but I don't know what," Al replied, blushing, "I mean… it's not every day that your best friend comes of age."

"How about telling him how you really feel?" Gabriel suggested.

"Wha- what?" Al exclaimed, "But I don't- I've already told you, we're just friends! I only think of him as a friend…" He sighed, looking into the fire. "Besides, even if I _did_- feel something for him- which I don't- I couldn't tell _him_ that."

Gabriel shook his head. How long would it take before those two realize they're meant for one another? "Why not?"

"Because… like I said, we're just friends. He'd never be interested in me- _that way_," he said.

"What makes you say that? Does he have a girlfriend?" Gabriel asked.

"Well, no. He's never been serious about anybody," Al said, "But he's got plenty of girls and boys who are throwing themselves at him…"

"That's just sex. Quit blushing, Al… you're sixteen years old. For heaven's sake," he smiled fondly at the boy, "They obviously don't mean anything to him. But _you_ do." He looked over his shoulder toward the door, raising his voice. "Isn't that right, _Ryan_?"

Professor Ryan Mickey, Head of Hufflepuff, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and Gabriel Illusen's lover, stepped into the office, grinning impishly. "How'd you know?"

"We've been together for ten years, now. I know your magical signature like the back of my hand," Gabriel said, "Now explain to Albus that he should just admit to himself, _and_ to Scorpius, that he loves him."

"Stop trying to push the boy, Gabe. If he's not ready, then he should just wait," Ryan said.

"But… they've been inseparable since their first day!" Gabriel said, clearly frustrated with the two of them, "I just want to see him happy."

"Then stop pressuring him!" Ryan laughed, "Albus, why don't you head back to the dorms. I'll take care of Gabe. Enjoy your summer and remember: nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Thanks. Both of you. See you next year," Al said, leaving.

"Don't forget to write!" Gabriel called after him.

When he returned to the Slytherin dorms, he placed the book carefully in his trunk, smiling.

"Where've you been?" Scorpius asked.

"I went to borrow a book from Gab- Professor Illusen. For my N.E.W.T Potions project," Al said.

"Took you that long to _borrow a book_?" Scorpius said skeptically.

"Well, no… but we started talking and… time got away from me, I guess," Al explained, shrugging.

"Y'know, Al… anybody who didn't know you better would that you and Illusen have a _thing_," Andy said, smirking.

Al blushed. "What? Me and… oh Merlin no! Absolutely not!" It was true that Al had had a bit of a crush on Gabriel in fourth year, but that was dissolved when he found out that the man was engaged.

"Well, it's a good thing we know you better, then," Julian said, glaring at Andy.

Al grinned and sighed in relief, not noticing the way that Scorpius' eyes narrowed. He flopped unceremoniously onto his bed. "Can you believe we'll be seventh years? We'll be graduating by this time next year… man, that's scary…" he said.

"Yeah… so, what's gonna happen to us after graduation?" Andy asked, suddenly serious. Which was rare for him.

"What do you mean?" Julian asked.

"I mean, are we just gonna split up? Go our separate ways?" Andy said, "_I'd_ like to keep in touch…"

"Well, duh," Al stated, "You talk like once we graduate we'll never be able to see each other again. I know your parents are muggles, but you should know by now how easy it is for wizards to get around. We can write, and floo, and apparate. Jeez, Andy, I never knew you were so insecure…" He added teasingly, and was rewarded with a pillow in his face.

"Shut it, Alby!" Andy laughed.

"Alright, so who's doing what after school?" Julian asked, "I think I'd like to be a Mind Healer. Specializing in children who've been abused."

"Quidditch for me," Andy said, "Always has been."

"I'm planning on being an Auror, as well," Scorpius said, smirking, "What about you, Albus? Professional Quidditch maybe? You and Andy could play for your beloved Cannons…"

Al, Scorpius, and Andy had been on the Slytherin Quidditch team since their second year. Al was the best Seeker that Hogwarts had seen since Harry Potter, and Scorpius was a fantastic Keeper. And it had been said that Andy, a Beater, could have given Fred and George a run for their money. They all got endless amounts of amusement every time Albus had gotten to the Snitch before his brother, James.

"No. I don't know what I'm going to do. Professor Illusen wants me to apprentice with him… that's probably what I'll do," Al said, shrugging.

"It's a _very_ good thing we know you better," Andy said, chuckling, "What on earth do you talk about with him?"

"Just… stuff. Things…" Albus stuttered.

"Things you can't talk about with us?" Scorpius said, a little resentfully.

"That's not it. I just- I dunno what we really talk about. Just inane things. Nothing important, really," Al said.

'_He's a horrible liar…'_ Scorpius thought, but said nothing.

"You sure there's nothing going on between you and the professor?" Andy teased.

Al blushed again. "He's going to be bonded to Professor Mickey and you know it. They've been together for ten years, since they were sixth years in school. I doubt that Professor Illusen would give up all of that for a scrawny kid like me."

Andy laughed.

"You're _not_ scrawny, Al," Scorpius said, "You're a bit small. There's nothing wrong with that."

Al looked over at him, unsurprised by the anger he saw in the ice blue gaze. Scorpius hated it when he put himself down. "Sorry. I just wish I was a bit- _less_ small. You know, people _still_ mistake me for a girl sometimes? It's bloody annoying."

"You're fine the way you are…" Scorpius stated.

Albus rolled his eyes, but smiled at the compliment.

"Maybe if you walked around starkers, everybody'd remember you're a bloke," Andy said.

"It'd never work," Julian said, "People would just be distracted by his 'girlish figure'. They'd jump him in the hallways."

"Yeah, but they'd be a bit confused when they noticed all his bits and pieces…" Andy said, laughing.

Albus blushed, cursing the fact that he did so rather easily. "_Please_ shut up."

"Aw… can your virgin ears not handle it?" Andy teased.

Al growled, hiding his deepening blush by burying his face in the pillow.

"Okay. I think that's enough, guys," Scorpius said, grinning.

"Awwwww… you're no fun!" Andy whined, but stopped nonetheless. The last thing he wanted was to be on the receiving end of either Scorpius or Al's stunning charm. Again.

"Thanks, Scor…" Al said, grateful, as always, to the blonde as his best friend.

"No problem," Scorpius replied.

"So… are you coming over this summer?" Al asked, "You still have never met my family."

"Does your family know that your best mate is a Malfoy, yet?" Scorpius asked.

Al looked down. "Well, Dad's always known. And James and Lily are fine with it. But Mum… I don't want to tell her or Uncle Ron until they've met you."

Andy sighed. "Come on, Jules… let's get out of here before this gets ugly."

Julian nodded, following him out.

"_Why_? Are you afraid they're going to disown you or something?" Scorpius asked, his eyes flashing, "For being friends with a Malfoy?"

"I- don't know. Mum and Ron… they never really let go of their childhood prejudices," Al said, still refusing to meet the piercing gaze of his friend, "But I _know_ that if they meet you first and see what a good person you are, they'll like you!"

Scorpius scoffed. "Doubtful. I'm the spitting image of my father. They'd take one look at me and hate me. Probably claim I've got you under some dark spell."

"I'm sorry that my family is- the way they are. But what about you? You only just told you dad that you were hanging out with me last year," Albus stated, his voice raising slightly.

"And he was fine with it!" Scorpius exclaimed, "He said he was glad that we became friends! That your dad was a good and loyal friend and that he'd obviously raised you to be the same."

"I'm _sorry_! How many times do I have to apologize for my mother?" Albus yelled, finally looking up, his bright green eyes shining with hurt, "If you don't want to come over, that's fine. But don't get angry at me for something I can't even control."

Scorpius looked away, properly ashamed of his harsh words, and sighed. "Sorry, Al…"

There was a tense silence for a few moments, both boys awkwardly looking anywhere but at each other. Finally Scorpius spoke.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to hang out at all. I just think it'd be awkward over there," he said, "So… why don't you come stay at the manor?"

"Really?" Al said, smiling, "When? For how long?"

Scorpius grinned. "Whenever you want and for however long you want. Dad won't mind. He's already said that my friends are welcome any time…"

"Could I just go over there with you tomorrow? And leave after your birthday?" Al asked.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

"I'll firecall Dad and ask him right now!" Al said, scrambling off of his bed and running down to the Common Room, which, at eight o'clock, was still pretty much deserted. He threw some floo powder into the fire, calling for his dad frantically.

"Albus? What's wrong?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong. But can I go to Scorpius' for the first couple weeks of summer? Just until after his birthday? Please, Dad?" Al begged.

"Well, I don't care. But… what should I tell your mother?" Harry asked.

"I don't care. Tell her the truth. It's about time she knew, anyway," Al replied.

Harry sighed and nodded. "Alright. Is that all you needed?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad," Al said, "Love you."

"Love you, too. See you later this summer," Harry said.

"Yep! Bye Dad!" When Harry was gone, he ran back up to the dorms yelling, "Scorpius! He said yes!"

**XXX**

Done! Chapter one! Woo hoo! In case you didn't catch it already, Gabe and Ryan are 26. Lol. Just thought you should know. Um… I don't know about the dialogue in this chapter. While I was typing it up, it sounded to me like they were already dating. But… I guess a lot of really close friends are like that. I know mine are! Now don't forget to feed the plot bunnies and REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Potterverse. I simply play it from time to time. However, I always return it in the condition I found it. Usually…….

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter Two **

**XXX**

When they got off of the train at Platform 9 ¾, Albus was shocked to see his mum and dad waiting for him. He walked over to them, with Scorpius on his heel, a feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach. His mum looked _furious_…

"Let's go, Albus," she snapped, "You're coming home with me and your father."

"But- I'm staying at Scorpius'. Dad said I could," Al stated.

"Your _father_ didn't bother to discuss it with me first," she said, "And if you think for one second that I'm going to let you stay with the _Malfoys_," she spat the name like it was a filthy word, "then you're sorely mistaken."

"But-"

"No! I won't have you hanging around that- that- little Death Eater anymore!" she exclaimed.

"Ginny!" Harry gasped.

Scorpius sighed and muttered, "I knew this would happen…"

Al glared at his mother. "Don't talk about him like that!"

"Why not? It's true…" she said.

Draco Malfoy chose this moment to stride over, smiling. It was a warm smile, though. It struck Albus as- a predator's smile. "Is there a problem here?" he drawled.

"Besides the fact that your son is trying to brainwash Albus, you mean?" Ginny snarled.

"Ginny, we should go. You're causing a scene…" Harry said complacently.

"I don't care! Albus, get away from him! You're coming home, and I'll no more arguments," she stated, hands on her hips.

He shook his head sadly. "Sorry Mum, but I'm not going anywhere with you. Not when you're acting like this. I'm going with Scorpius and Mr. Malfoy."

"Albus Severus Potter! If you go with _them_, then don't even bother coming home. You _won't_ be welcome," she snapped, disapparating.

Harry sighed, placing a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, Al. Give her some time to cool off and I'll talk to her. You go spend some time with your friends."

Albus forced a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

He pulled the boy into a tight hug, praying that Ginny would come to her senses. He let go, grinning. "Don't get into _too_ much trouble."

"I can't promise anything. You know that," Al said, so seriously that Harry couldn't help but laugh.

Even Draco chuckled, and Harry turned to him, grinning. "Malfoy…"

"Potter," Draco responded, "I'll keep my eyes on them."

Scorpius scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Like we need a bloody babysitter…" he muttered.

Al grinned at him, giving a discreet wink, and Scorpius knew what he was thinking. It would be rather hard for his father to keep his eyes on something that was… say… invisible. He smirked.

"So when do I get to rid myself of the mini-Potter?" Draco asked, though without a hint of the malice that his voice once held.

"Any time you get sick of him, just send him home," Harry replied, "Which may be rather early, as he can be a bit of a nuisance." He smiled fondly at his son. "However, just in case you _don't_ tire of him, shall we say… June seventeenth? Al, you did want to stay for his birthday, didn't you?"

"Yeah! Er… if that's okay with Mr. Malfoy?" Al said, blushing.

"It's fine with me," Draco said, grinning.

"I guess I'll see you in a couple of weeks, then," Harry said.

"Dad!" Lily exclaimed, running over to Harry and throwing her arms around his neck, "Where's Al going?"

"To his friend, Scorpius'," Harry replied, "What took you so long on the train?"

"I had to- say goodbye to my… er… friends," she said, blushing.

"Don't you mean that you had to kiss _Timothy_ goodbye?" Al teased, earning him a glare from his fourteen year old sister.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "We'll talk about that later. I'll see you on the seventeenth, Al."

"Yeah. Bye, Dad. Bye, Lils. See you later," Al said impatiently.

Harry chuckled as Lily kissed her brother on the cheek. "Alright. We get it. Let's go, Lily."

As they departed, Al heard Lily say, "Where's Mum?" and grimaced.

"Let's be off, then. No use dawdling," Draco said, leading them through the porthole and to a ministry issued car. Upon graduating, Draco Malfoy had gone on to become the top interrogations officer for the aurors.

They only drove to The Leaky Cauldron where they left the car and traveled by floo to Malfoy Manor. Albus stumbled out of the fireplace and looked around the room, wide-eyed. It was beautifully decorated in rich, earthy colors and contained two large plush armchairs, a sofa, and two end tables. The floor was stone, but was covered with a large, soft rug. The walls were stone, as well, and were tastefully adorned with wall hangings and tapestries and paintings that looked to be from all around the world.

"This is amazing!" Al breathed.

"Do you want a tour?" Scorpius asked, enjoying the expression of delight on his friend's face.

"Definitely!" Al stated.

"Dinner is at six," Draco called as they left the room.

Al was happy to find the entire was similarly decorated in browns, greens, and black, with, yes, the occasional splash of crimson or blue. The decorations were, indeed, from all over the world, Scorpius informed him. His favorite room, though, had to be the library. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled to the brim, a large fireplace, plush armchairs, and yet another soft rug, done in crimson and black, made the room very welcoming to Al. Not to mention the familiar scent of ink and old paper…

"You shouldn't have shown me this room," Al said.

"Why?" Scorpius asked.

"Because now I don't want to leave," Al said, grinning.

Scorpius laughed. "Come on. I'll show you your room."

"I already have a room?" Albus stated.

"Dad will have had one of the house-elves prepare it for you," Scorpius said, leading him up a flight of stairs and down a long, brightly lit hallway. "Here. You're right across the hall from me."

Sure enough, the door directly across from his read, in silver lettering, 'Scorpius Xander Malfoy'. His own door was adorned the same with 'Albus Severus Potter: Guest'. He smirked.

"So, where do your M- er. Where does your dad sleep?" Al asked.

He still forgot sometimes that Scorpius' mother had left them four years ago. It had come as a major shock to Scorpius, as well as Albus, who had always thought that the woman was rather nice. However, Scorpius had gotten over it quickly, actually liking the father-son lifestyle more so than when his mother had been around.

"Dad is at the other end of the hallway," Scorpius replied.

"Oh… so somewhere in Egypt, then?" Al said, grinning.

"Shut up, prat," Scorpius said, elbowing him in the side.

"Is it dinnertime, yet? I'm starving," Al said.

Scorpius glanced at the clock. "It's only four-thirty. How can you be hungry already? You just ate a couple hours ago on the train."

"I don't know. Maybe touring just improves my appetite?" Al said.

Scorpius laughed. "We could go to the kitchens and get a snack, I guess."

When they were full of strawberry tart and butterbeer, Scorpius decided to take Al outside and show him the stables. Albus was thrilled to finally meet the animals that the blonde talked so fondly about so often. He immediately was drawn to a chocolate brown mare with a black mane and tail and ocean blue eyes.

"She's beautiful…" he breathed.

"Her name is Seafire. She's a pure-bred Arabian that my dad recently bought," Scorpius said, smiling at Al's fascination, "Her previous owner sold her quite cheaply on account of the fact that her spirited nature was too much for him to handle, and he couldn't break her."

"Why would anyone _want_ to break her? That's just- wrong," Al said, smoothing his hands down her neck and giggling when she nuzzled his shoulder.

"You seem to be getting along rather well," Scorpius said, "Would you like to go for a ride?"

"Seriously? That would be wicked!" Al exclaimed.

"Have you ever ridden before?" Scorpius asked.

"Er…" he replied, "Only a couple times…"

"Then maybe we should start you on somebody a little easier to handle," Scorpius suggested.

"No! I want to ride Seafire…" Al said, smiling softly at the mare, "And you want to get out of there, don't you?"

She nickered quietly.

Scorpius sighed. "If you get hurt, don't blame me."

They saddled the horses, and Al was excited to meet Dusty, a grey stallion with a slightly darker mane and tail. This was the horse that Scorpius talked about the most. They mounted and rode out into the pasture. Scorpius was delighted to see that Al was as natural a rider as he was a flier, and seemed just as happy and at ease astride Seafire as his Firebolt Mach 2. An hour later they tumbled into the manor, sweaty and dirty and laughing.

"What time is it?" Al asked.

"It's… six-ten! Come on! We're late for dinner!" Scorpius exclaimed, pulling Al into the dining room.

When they entered, Draco raised an eyebrow at them. "Boys. Are you aware that you're late?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Dad. I was showing Al the stables and then we went for a ride and…" he grinned and shrugged, "Time got away from us, I guess."

Draco smirked. "Alright. Come and eat, then," he said, "You must be hungry."

"Starved!" Al said.

Scorpius laughed. "You're always starved, Al."

After dinner, with much begging and pleading, Scorpius agreed to take Al back up to the library, where the boy gathered a large stack of books that had to be taken to his room by a house-elf named Mitsy. Scorpius shook his head, chuckling to himself. Al hadn't even gotten anything that would help with school. They were all fictional, autobiographies of witches, wizards, and muggles that have had an impact on medicine, architecture, and potions, books about ancient Rome, Japan, and, especially, Egypt, or- courtesy of his mother- smutty romance novels.

"Are you done, now? I'd like to relax a bit before bed," Scorpius said once all of the books had been transported.

"I guess…" Al replied, smiling, "Sorry. I got a little carried away. Let's go."

"Thank Merlin!" Scorpius breathed.

Albus laughed as they made their way to Scorpius' room. When the door was shut behind them, Al immediately grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment, sitting down at the blonde's desk.

"What're you doing?" Scorpius asked.

"I promised to write Professor Illusen," ASlbus replied, starting on his letter.

Scorpius scowled darkly. "Of _course_. Who else would it be about?" he said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Albus asked.

"Oh nothing. Just… are you _sure_ there's nothing going on between you and him?" Scorpius said skeptically.

Al's jaw dropped in shock. "Are you _serious_? You can't actually be that stupid, can you?"

"What else should I think? You spend hours alone with him in his office or his _private chambers_, 'talking'. You're writing to him over the summer, apprenticing with him after you graduate, and every time somebody asks what you 'talk about' you blush like a bloody schoolgirl!" Scorpius exclaimed.

Al blushed and Scorpius growled.

"Like that! Look… it's- I don't… if you two _are_, I don't… _care_. But I'm allegedly your best friend, and I don't appreciate being _lied to_!"

"Maybe- maybe I blush because what we talk about… embarrasses me. Did you think of that?" Albus shot back, "And maybe I spend so much time talking to him because he understands me, and he listens. And _maybe_ I'm apprenticing with him because I love Potions, and he happens to be the Potions Master. And maybe I write to him because we're friends, and that's what friends do. Gabe is a nice guy. He's easy to talk to, he knows what I'm going through, and he's helped me out a lot over the last six years. But we're nothing more than friends."

Scorpius scoffed. "So you're on first-name basis with the professor, now?"

"Didn't you listen to anything I just said? Bloody- I'm on first-name basis with Neville and Ryan and Luna, too. Do you think I'm shagging all of them, as well?" Albus stated. He picked up his half-written letter and stood. "I'm going to go to my own room and finish writing my letter. Once you've cooled off, if you want to talk, you know where to find me."

He walked out, slamming the door behind him and leaving Scorpius to fume in solitude. He sat down at the desk, finishing his letter before sending it with his familiar, a peregrine falcon named Isis. The letter explained just the days events. His mother's anger, Malfoy Manor, and… Scorpius.

"What the bloody hell is his problem anyway? He's acting like such a git," Al said to the empty room, "We've been best friends since first year. He should know me better than that… accusing me of sleeping with a professor and then lying about it…"

He threw himself onto the bed, sighing as the soft mattress enveloped him. He kicked off his shoes and wiggled out of his jeans and shirt, leaving him in his boxers and socks. He stared up at the canopy, thinking about what Gabe had said the night before.

_Did _he have feelings for Scorpius? If he were to be completely honest with himself, he would realize that the answer was yes. He had very strong feelings for the boy. Probably had for some time. But he couldn't tell Scorpius. He could barely even admit it to himself.

Scorpius would never understand. Nor would he ever reciprocate those feelings. Not while he had his pick of all of the best looking witches and wizards at Hogwarts. Besides… he'd basically given him permission to shag Gabriel Illusen! He couldn't possibly care for Al in that way.

Albus sighed. "Damn it! Why do I have to- bloody Gabriel. I hate that he was right." He rolled onto his stomach, resting his head on his arms. "You _are_ wrong about on thing, Gabe. He'd never pick me. He just doesn't think of me like that. And why would he? I'm just a scrawny, unappealing little bookworm who happens to be the son of Harry Potter. There's nothing special about me. Sure, I can play Quidditch, but that's about it. My grades are okay, my looks are average, there's nothing extraordinary about my personality… _and_ I'm a self-pitying whiner! Bloody hell! _I_ wouldn't even like me!"

_You shouldn't talk to yourself. People will think you're crazy._

Al jumped, looking around for the source of the voice.

_Down here, stupid._

He leaned over the edge of the bed and came face-to-face with a small, glittering black snake.

_You can talk? _he asked.

The snake blinked in surprise. _You understand me?_

_Of course. But where did you learn to talk?_ Al said.

The snake chuckled. You_ are the one who is speaking in tongues. You are speaking in the language of serpents._

_Really? I'm a Parelmouth? Huh… I never knew… _Al replied, _But I'd never really _met_ a snake until now, so… Um. What kind of snake are you, anyway?_

_I am an Egyptian Asp. My name is Ivy. What is yours, Little Speaker?_

_Al. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ivy. But, if you don't mind me asking, how did an Egyptian Asp get here?_ Al asked.

_I was brought here as an egg. I don't know by whom, or for what purpose, but I escaped as soon as I hatched. I think the golden haired one wanted to use me in a potion…_ Ivy said.

_I see. How terrible. Well, I won't use you in any potion, so how would you like to stay with me?_ Al asked.

_I would be delighted. You seem to be intelligent, and any Speaker is worthy company, _she replied.

_Great. Just… promise me you won't bite anybody. I like these people… _Al said.

She laughed. _Very well. But if the golden one tries to stick me in that large black pot again, I can't be held accountable for my actions._

_Fair enough._

_I'm a bit hungry. I think I'll go hunt down some tasty mice… or maybe a nice little ground squirrel… _Ivy said, and Al imagined that she would be grinning, _I'll see you later tonight, Little Speaker._

_See you later, Ivy._

The snake slithered away and Al grinned. Okay… so maybe he wasn't as unremarkable as he'd thought. He stood from the bed, grabbing his pajama pants and heading for the bathroom.

Once he was showered, he decided to retire for the night. If Scorpius had wanted to talk any more, he'd have already done so. He flopped down on the bed, taking note of Ivy curled up in front of the fireplace, and sighed.

_G'night, Ivy…_

_Good night, Little Speaker._

However, sleep did not come easily for Albus Severus Potter that night. For his thoughts dwelled on Scorpius, probably already asleep, just across the hall.

x

"Bloody fucking Albus!" Scorpius cursed when the door slammed behind the boy, "Why won't he just tell me the truth?!"

"Why don't you tell _him_ the truth?" Draco asked, stepping into the room.

Scorpius jumped. "Wh-what? The truth about what?"

"About how you feel for him," Draco replied, taking the seat that Al had just vacated, "You lied to him, as well. You said that you wouldn't care if he was with Gabriel Illusen. That's a lie. You would care very much."

"How I feel for him? I don't- we're just friends," Scorpius said, "Besides… who says I'm even gay?"

Draco chuckled. "First of all, when it comes to matters of the heart, sexual persuasion is a grey area. And second… I've heard tales of your many escapades. With both girls _and_ boys."

Scorpius blushed. "Alright. Whatever. That still doesn't change the fact that… Al and I are just friends. He's already got Illusen, so my _'feelings'_ are pretty irrelevant, don't you think?"

"Not at all. Considering that he _hasn't_ got Illusen," Draco said.

"How do you know that?" Scorpius asked skeptically.

"He's a Potter, isn't he? They're notoriously bad liars," Draco said, "And he sounded very sure of himself."

"Yeah but- wait! You were _spying_ on me?" Scorpius exclaimed.

Draco chuckled. "Son, the way you two were carrying on, I didn't have to spy. Your grandparents probably heard you all the way in Italy."

Scorpius blushed. "Sorry."

"Think nothing of it. However, you really should tell Albus how you feel," Draco said.

"But I _don't_!" Scorpius said.

"Don't give me that. I've seen the way you two are together, and I've heard the way you talk about him. So don't tell me that you feel nothing for him, because we both know that that's a lie," Draco stated, "Now, I suggest you get some sleep, and talk to Albus first thing tomorrow. Good night, Son."

"Night, Dad," Scorpius replied resignedly.

When Draco was gone, Scorpius grabbed a pair of pajama pants and walked to the bathroom to shower. On his way back to his room, he heard another person approaching and, assuming it was Al, proceeded to hide in an empty guest room until the footsteps had faded.

He stepped back into the hallway, shaking his head. "Why did I hide? What the hell is _wrong_ with me?"

He stepped into his room, slamming the door behind him and throwing himself onto his bed, growling at his own stupidity. He was still awake when he heard Al go back into his room, and for several hours after that. He couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to say the very next day, and, for some reason, he couldn't get images of Al and Professor Illusen in rather compromising positions with one another.

He sighed, mentally smacking himself. His dad was right. Al was a terrible liar. There couldn't possibly be anything between him and Illusen. Nevertheless… it was nagging doubt and nerves that kept him awake for the better part of the night.

XXX

AH HAH! ALL DONE! With THIS chapter anyway. It was rather long, wasn't it? Satisfactory? Hmm? You should go on and review now. Why? Because I bloody well said so, that's why!! Lol. Much love to all of my reviewers and cyber candy for all!! Please leave carrots for my plot-bunnies. No more cookies! They're getting a bit fat and lazy… Oh shit! runs screaming from hoard of VERY angry plot-bunnies AHHHH! REVIEW! AND PRAY FOR ME!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Standard one applies

**Disclaimer: **Standard one applies. You know what I'm talking about.

**A/N:** Yeah. Here is the long awaited (but not really) chapter three! Woo hoo!! I hope you enjoy! I'm getting a lot of feedback on this story. It makes me so happy! So much love to all of those who reviewed!! (And much cyber candy of course!!)

**Chapter Three**

**XXX**

Any plans of Scorpius' to speak to Al the next day were abandoned the moment the boy walked into the dining room for breakfast. Al strode in and immediately sat as far away from Scorpius as he could without feeling like he was being rude to the elder Malfoy. Draco gave his son a pointed look, to which Scorpius replied by simply shrugging. Draco sighed.

"Did you boys have a fight?" Draco asked, going for the direct approach.

"Yes," Al said at the same time that Scorpius replied with a firm "_NO_."

"I see…" Draco said, "Whatever about?"

"I'd rather not say," Al said, "But I _will _say this. Your son is a complete prat. No offense."

"None taken. I'm sure your anger in completely warranted," Draco replied.

"If you'll excuse me? I'm afraid I'm not very hungry," Albus stated, standing from the table and exiting the room without so much as a glance in Scorpius' direction.

"Shit!" Scorpius said, "He's not hungry? He didn't even lose his appetite when his brother called him a filthy traitor and refused to talk to him for a week."

"He was obviously very hurt by your accusations and mistrust," Draco said, "You need to talk to him."

Scorpius sighed. "I know…"

Al walked straight up to his room, where he threw himself onto the bed and groaned.

_What is wrong, Little Speaker? _Ivy asked.

_I wish Scorpius would just apologize. I hate being mad at him,_ Al replied.

_Then forgive him,_ she stated.

He sighed. _It's not that easy. You didn't hear the things he said. And then calling me a _liar_? I can't forgive him that easily._

_He really hurt you, didn't he?_ Ivy said, slithering up the bedpost to lie on the pillow next to him, _Would you like me to bite him?_

Albus laughed. _No. Don't bite him. He's still my friend. I think…_

_Poor Little Speaker. Give him time._

He smiled at her. _Thanks, Ivy._

_ Why don't you do something to take your mind off of things? _she suggested, sensing that he was still dwelling.

_ Yeah… I think I will._

He pulled one of the books he'd picked out off of the desk. It was about Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Soon after, he was immersed in the pages and Ivy was asleep.

This was how he spent the next week. He would come downstairs for breakfast, Scorpius would barely look at him, much less apologize, so he'd go back to his room and read for the rest of the day. He'd have Mitsy bring him meals in his room, asking it without ever looking up from whatever book he would be reading at the time.

Around four-thirty, at the end of the week, when he was halfway through a book about the architecture of ancient Rome, Isis flew in through the window carrying Gabriel's reply.

He grinned when his familiar landed on the headboard in front of him and held out her leg for him. He untied the letter, stroking her back for a few moments before sending her out to hunt. He quickly tore open the letter and read;

'_Albus Severus Potter,  
The first day of summer and you two were already fighting? I'm sorry about your mother. I'd like to say that I'm sure she'll come around, but I can't. I'm afraid she may never get over the past. But who knows? She very well could. Let's just hope for the best.  
Malfoy Manor sounds beautiful. I can tell that you already love riding horseback. And Seafire, of course. Personally, I love horses. They really are amazing creatures, aren't they? So full of raw power and strength… Gorgeous.  
As to Scorpius… well, I can see how he'd get an idea like that into his head. I never told you, but toward the end of your fourth year, Ryan and I had a rather large fight about that very same thing. It took me four hours to convince him that I wasn't about to leave him for you. Best bloody four hours of my life…'_

Albus laughed at this. What a pervy thing to write…

'_Bet you laughed, huh? I hope so. Don't blame Scorpius for thinking that. It's not entirely his fault, you know. You haven't been completely honest with him about our visits, have you? He could tell that you were hiding something. He just came to an incorrect conclusion about that something.  
I feel a little sorry for him, actually. Poor guy. He's quite obviously jealous. I know what you're thinking, but trust me. I know a lot about these things.  
Give him time, Al. He's probably confused about what he's feeling. He _will_ talk to you. When he's ready.  
However, if you can't wait, you could always try talking to _him_. Just… don't do anything rash. I don't want to see you two lose each other over something so stupid.  
Write me and tell me all about what happens.  
Love,  
Your professor and mentor  
Gabriel Donovan Illusen  
P.S. Ryan wants me to let you know that you're both being idiots and that you should confess you love to each other and shag like bunnies already!  
P.S.S. Don't listen to him. He's a bit of a git, I'm afraid…'_

Al folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Maybe Gabe was right. Maybe- maybe Scorpius _was_ just jealous. He grinning, standing up. Well, now he _had_ to talk to him…

_Where are you going?_ Ivy asked, having awoken when she felt the bed shift.

_To talk to Scorpius,_ Al replied.

_Take me with you. You may need my assistance, _she said.

He held out his arm and she curled herself around it, resting her head on his shoulder. He left his room and went across the hall to Scorpius', knocking. When there was no answer, he sighed. _'Maybe he's in the stables…'_

But no… there was no Scorpius. In fact, the blonde seemed to have disappeared. He wasn't in the gardens, the parlor, the recreation room, the Quidditch field, the kitchen, the library… _anywhere_!

He growled in frustration, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Then he gasped, his eyes widening. Where was the letter?!

_Don't worry. You will see him at mealtime, won't you?_ Ivy said.

_Ivy… I think I dropped the letter, _Al said, _Shit! What if somebody found it? What if Scorpius or his dad read it?!_

_Calm down. It probably fell when you _leapt_ off of the bed,_ Ivy said, attempting to reassure the boy.

Al sighed. _I hope so…_

When he got back to his room, he was shocked to find Scorpius sitting on his bed. He swallowed convulsively as he shut the door. His gaze landed on the folded parchment lying next to the blonde and he closed his eyes, leaning against the door.

'_Please… tell me he didn't read it…' _he thought, _'_Please_…'_

"Hey. You want to tell me what this letter is all about?" Scorpius asked.

Al didn't open his eyes. "Not particularly."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Scorpius tried again.

Al shook his head. "Not particularly."

Scorpius chuckled. "You're a horrible liar, Al."

His eyes shot open when he heard Scorpius get off of the bed and approach him. He swallowed air again, expecting the worst.

"Did you read it all?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Yep. Every word…" Scorpius said, coming to a halt directly in front of Albus.

"Well… that thing- what Ryan said- he was joking," Al said, chuckling nervously, "And- er… Gabe is- he's…"

"Are you _sure_ you don't have anything that you want to tell me?" Scorpius asked, his gaze hardening.

"I-I'm sure…" he said, "There's nothing."

Scorpius growled. "Al…" he said warningly, reaching a hand up.

Al jumped away from him. "I told you! I don't have anything to tell you! But what about _you_? Don't _you_ have something you want to say to _me_?"

Scorpius scowled, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

_Damn it! I should have just told him! _Al exclaimed, then sighed, _Come on, Ivy. Let's go to dinner._

The tension at dinner was practically tangible. Conversation was minimal and consisted of Draco asking questions and either Al or Scorpius giving monosyllabic responses in clipped tones. By the end of the meal, the elder Malfoy had given up entirely.

"Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy. Where's the nearest fireplace that I could call my dad from?" Al asked.

"In the room just across the hall. Why? Are you going home already?" Draco asked.

He glanced at Scorpius. "I don't know. I might… sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. Though I _had_ hoped that you would be able to sort this thing out…" Draco said.

"Yeah. Me, too… if you'll excuse me?" Al said, leaving them.

He threw some powder into the fire and called for his dad.

"Al? What's wrong?" Harry asked, his head appearing in the fire.

"It's nothing. Just- Scorpius and I had a bit of a fight," Albus replied, "I think I might come home."

"Surely it isn't that bad," Harry said.

"He accused me of sleeping with Professor Illusen!" Al exclaimed, " He won't listen to me! He's been avoiding me all week, and whenever he sees me he looks so- angry. Like _I_ did something wrong!"

"Oh, Albus…" Harry sighed.

"Dad… I just- can't stand it when he looks at me like that…" Al said, sniffing a bit and trying to blink back the tears that pricked at his eyes. He _wouldn't_ cry. He _wouldn't_…

Harry looked at him for a moment, deep in thought. "You love him," he said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

That was it. "Damn it…" Al said as the tears rolled down his cheeks, "Yeah… I do. Sorry…"

"Hang on. I'll be right over," Harry said. Moments later, he stepped out of the fireplace, sitting next to his son and pulling him into a comforting embrace.

Al sniffed again. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Stop apologizing," Harry said, "You can't help how you feel."

"I wish I was normal, like James," Albus said, "Then I wouldn't have to worry about this."

"You're perfectly normal. Don't compare yourself to your brother. You are two separate people," Harry said, rubbing the boy's back soothingly, "How long have you been in love with him?"

"I don't know… for quite some time, I think," Al stated, "But- he doesn't feel the same."

"Have you talked to him?" Harry asked.

"No… but- if I told him how I feel it would ruin our friendship!" Al replied, starting a fresh wave of tears, "And I- don't want to- l- lose him…"

Harry sighed. "You should talk to him. Al least about the situation with Gabriel."

"I _know_! But you- you don't know how angry he is! I don't know if he'll ever speak to me again…" Al said, wiping at his eyes with his hand, "I feel like such an idiot. Crying like this…"

"Don't. It's okay to cry. Especially when it comes to love," Harry said, "Your mother…" He trailed off.

Al looked up at him. "How _is_ Mum?"

"She- she left, Al. This afternoon," Harry said, "She said she couldn't stay in a house with a bunch of traitors… that she couldn't- she didn't consider us- family anymore. I'm so sorry, Al."

"How are- James and Lily?" Al asked.

"Lily hasn't stopped crying and James… James won't come out of his room," Harry said.

"What about you?"

Harry smiled. "I'm surprisingly alright. If she's going to be like that, then I don't really _want _her in my life. But you kids…"

"I'll be okay, Dad. You should get back to Lily. She was closest to Mum," Al said, standing and wiping his face. He gave a small smile.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah… I'm just going to pack and then I'm coming home," Al said.

"No. You stay here and try to fix things with Scorpius. I can handle your brother and sister. Plus, Hermione and Ron are going to come over with Rose, Hugo, Fred and Arthur, and little Audrey tomorrow," Harry said.

Al sighed. "Alright. I don't think it's going to get any better, though."

"If it's still like this tomorrow night, you can come home," Harry said, hugging his son, "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah. Bye, Dad," Al said, waiting for his father to disappear before allowing the tears to fall freely once more.

He sank to the floor, hugging his knees and burying his face in his arms. He knew that this would happen. He never should have let his mother know! Now she was gone… and he didn't know if she'd ever be back. He sobbed brokenly. His mum was gone, Scorpius probably hated him… his life was falling to pieces.

_Don't cry, Little Speaker… everything will be alright. You'll see… _Ivy said, flicking her tongue out to caress his cheek.

He couldn't bring himself to form sentences, so he just shook his head at her.

She unwound herself from his arm and slithered out of the room to find the younger golden-haired one. The one called Scorpius. She found him in one of the sitting rooms, reading a book.

_Stupid boy. Causing my Little Speaker so much sadness…_

She slithered up to him and nudged his ankle with her head. He lowered the book and looked down at her.

"Aren't you the snake that Dad lost last year?" he said, "He'll be pleased that I've found you."

_Follow me,_ she said, fully aware that he couldn't understand her. However, he did follow her. She just narrowly avoided capture twice before she slithered under the door to the room that Al was in.

Scorpius opened it, cursing the snake, and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Albus. Sitting on the floor. Crying his heart out. He shut the door quietly behind him.

"Al?" he said softly.

Albus looked up quickly, then turned his face away when he saw that it was Scorpius. "What do _you_ want?" he said, his voice shaking. _'Damn it! Why does _he_, of all people, have to see me like this?'_

"I was following- What's wrong?" Scorpius asked, walking over to him.

"Nothing," he lied, "Go away."

"It sure doesn't _look_ like nothing," Scorpius said, sitting next to him, "Want to talk about it?"

"No," Al replied. _'Yes…'_

"Al…" Scorpius sighed, "I'm sorry. I've been acting like a complete arse. I should know you well enough to know that you and Illusen weren't- y'know… anyway- yeah. I'm sorry…"

Al sniffed and nodded, acknowledging the apology.

"So… will you tell me what happened that's got you this upset?" Scorpius asked.

"It's- a couple things…" Al replied, hiccupping a bit, "But… Mum- left. Because of _me_. Because I'm- friends with you. She's gone. And it's- it's all m-my fault!"

Scorpius sighed, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and pulling him close. "It's not your fault, Al. She just couldn't let go of the past. I know what it's like to have your Mum walk out on you. It gets better. And it's _definitely_ not your fault. Okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah…"

"Now what else is wrong?" Scorpius asked. When Albus gave no response, it was all the response he needed. "It's me, isn't it?"

Al stiffened next to him, turning his face away.

"Is it just how mean I've been? Or is it something more?"

Albus remained silent.

Scorpius sighed. "Why won't you talk to me, Al?"

"I can't…" he whispered.

"Why?" Scorpius asked.

"I- just can't. It would- ruin everything…" Al said, so quietly that Scorpius almost didn't hear him. _Almost_.

"Al…" Scorpius started.

"Don't," Albus interrupted, shutting his eyes tightly, "Just- don't. Please…"

Scorpius grabbed Al's chin and forced him to turn his head. "Al…" he said more sternly, "Al, open your eyes."

He shook his head.

"Look at me, Al. What are you so afraid of?" Scorpius said, his tone softening, "You're such an idiot."

Al's eyes shot open at this and he opened his mouth to protest. However, whatever he had been about to say was forgotten when Scorpius' lips descended on his own for a soft kiss. He looked into the stormy blue eyes, searching for… something. Answers?

"Why…?" he breathed.

Scorpius shrugged, grinning. "Because I love you, I suppose…"

Albus smiled brightly and threw his arms around the blonde's neck, kissing him again. "Thank Merlin!"

"So… should I take that to mean that you love me, too?" Scorpius asked, laughing.

Al nodded vigorously. "I do. I love you so much it hurts! The last week has been killing me!"

Scorpius stood up, bringing Al with him. "Is that what you always talked to Illusen about? Me?"

"You, and classes, and the pressure's of being the son of Harry Potter," Al replied, "But mostly you."

"Come on. Let's go back to my room and talk," Scorpius said.

Al nodded. "Okay… wait! Hang on…"

_Ivy? Where'd you go?_ Al called in Parseltongue.

Scorpius couldn't hide his shock at the sound of the serpent language being spoken by his best mate.

_I'm here, _Ivy said.

_Did _you_ bring Scorpius here?_ he asked.

_Of course. I could not console you, so I brought somebody whom I believed could,_ she replied, _Was I wrong?_

_No,_ he said, _Thanks, Ivy._

_Think nothing of it, Little Speaker._

"You're a Parselmouth?" Scorpius said.

"Apparently…" Al replied, grinning, "This is Ivy. Please don't use her in any potions. She's a very good friend of mine."

Scorpius chuckled. "Alright, then…"

Al smiled and they walked up to Scorpius' room, where Ivy curled up in front of the fireplace. Scorpius sat down on the bed and motioned for Al to join him. Albus blushed, but complied, sitting next to the boy.

"So," Scorpius said, pulling Al over so that he was sitting between his outstretched legs and wrapping his arms around his slim figure, "You're going to be my boyfriend, right?"

Al blushed, but nodded.

Scorpius grinned, kissing his neck softly and making him jump.

"What are you doing?" Al asked, jumping again when Scorpius traced the shell of his ear with his tongue.

"Don't you like it?" Scorpius asked, smirking.

"Well- I didn't- I mean, I _do_, but- ah!" he trailed off when the blonde started nibbling and sucking on his earlobe, "Bloody- Scorpius… ah!"

The way Al breathed his name went straight to Scorpius' cock and he groaned.

"Scorpius… I can't- think… while you're doing that…" Al said, his breath catching in his throat as Scorpius' hands found their way up his shirt and began caressing his chest and stomach and trailing up and down his sides.

"That's the point," Scorpius said, capturing his lips in a deep, sensual kiss. He slipped his tongue into Al's mouth, exploring the warm cavern thoroughly. He groaned again when Al closed his eyes and began kissing back timidly.

They parted for air and Al stilled Scorpius' hands.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked.

"It's- moving a little fast, don't you think?" Albus said, blushing.

"Not at all. It's not like we just met, and I'm not expecting to shag you," Scorpius said, grinning, "And you were enjoying yourself, weren't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then just relax," Scorpius said, continuing his ministrations and kissing Al again before moving his mouth back to the slender boy's ear.

Al moaned loudly and then clamped a hand over his mouth. Had that really just come from _him_?

Scorpius smirked, flipping them over quickly so that Albus was lying beneath him. He moved Al's hand and kissed him lightly.

"Don't. I like hearing you…" he purred.

Al blushed, squirming when Scorpius' hands returned to his stomach and began pushing his shirt up. "But- your dad…"

"Went out for the night on Auror business and won't be back until morning at the earliest," Scorpius countered, kissing his collarbone when he'd pulled the boy's shirt over his head, "Not stop talking. It's distracting…"

Scorpius captured his lips in another fiery kiss, his hand traveling up a toned stomach and chest to brush against taut nipples. Al gasped, breaking the kiss. Scorpius grinned, a feral gleam of teeth, and moved his mouth to Al's neck, sucking, kissing, and biting lightly, making sure to leave a mark.

Albus moaned again, louder this time, when he felt Scorpius nip at his neck and pinch his nipples softly at the same time.

"God Scorpius…" he breathed, "You're- ah- really good at this…"

"Not good enough if you can still form sentences," Scorpius replied, trailing kisses and little nips down his neck and over his shoulder.

He continued his downward path until he reached the little pink nubs on Al's chest. His mouth descended on the left one first, and Al gave a half gasp, half shout of surprised pleasure. Then he moaned softly when Scorpius rolled it between his teeth gently, pulling on it a bit before laving it with his tongue. He proceeded to the the right one, giving it the same treatment, and was rewarded with Albus' little moans and gasps and mewls.

While Al was distracted by the haze of pleasure in his mind, Scorpius made quick work of the button and zipper on his jeans. He moved back up to plant a firm kiss on Al's lips before plunging his hand into the boy's boxers and wrapping his fingers around the hard shaft he found there.

"Ah! Hah… what're you- I- Fuck!" Al exclaimed, unable to continue thinking when Scorpius began to stroke him slowly.

Scorpius smiled when Albus' eyes fluttered shut. He laid on his side and propped himself up on one elbow, just watching the raven-haired boy lose himself and listening to the incredibly sexy sounds spilling from his mouth.

He leaned over to kiss the pulse point just below his ear, nibbling briefly on his earlobe. Al was shaking now, writhing and moaning wantonly, and Scorpius knew that he'd never seen a more arousing sight.

"Ah! God Scor- pius… more… faster! _Please_…!" Al begged.

Scorpius grinned, happy to oblige. He sped up his strokes, kissing Albus on every bare patch of skin that he could find. Soon, Al's breath was coming in short pants and gasps and, just when he thought he might die of pleasure, he was coming, hard, into Scorpius' hand as he screamed the blonde's name. A few small tears slipped down his face when he shut his eyes tightly at the force of his first orgasm.

Scorpius pulled his hand away, wiping it clean on his jeans, and kissed Al, first on his forehead, then his eyelids, his nose, and finally, his lips.

Al opened his eyes after a moment of catching his breath, and blushed brightly. "Sorry… I made a bit of a mess of myself, didn't I?"

Scorpius smiled. "It's no big deal. That was your first, wasn't it?"

"Yeah…" Al said, his blush darkening, "I'm so pathetic…"

"You're beautiful," Scorpius said, gazing into his brilliant green eyes.

"Really?" Al said.

Scorpius nodded, still smiling. "Really. I don't think I've seen anything as beautiful as you."

Al smiled softly, looking away. "Thanks…"

"Er… if you don't mind me asking… why haven't you ever wanked before?" Scorpius asked, "You can't feign ignorance, because I know for a fact that you've caught Andy at it on several occasions…"

He blushed. "Well… that's the thing… I tried it once when I was thirteen," he said, grimacing, "It was summer after third year, just after I'd caught Andy for the first time. I thought it looked like fun, so I tried it… and- um- James walked in."

Scorpius' grimace matched Al's. "Ugh. I think I understand, now."

"Yeah… I hadn't tried it since then. It was the most embarrassing thing I've ever experienced in my life," Al said.

"What a bummer that he ruined the whole experience for you…" Scorpius said, then grinned, "But I'm kind of glad. Just means that I got to give you your first."

Al blushed. "Er… I'm going to go take a shower. You may think I'm beautiful, but, at the moment, _I_ think I'm just gross…" he said, walking out of the room without even bothering to do up his pants.

Scorpius decided that he, too, should take a shower, preferably a cold one, before retiring and headed to his own personal bathroom. When he reentered his room, it was to find Ivy and Al on his bed, speaking fervently. He smirked, shaking his head softly when Al turned away from the snake, pouting.

"What did she say to upset you?" the blonde asked.

Al jumped, then blushed and looked down at the sheets. "She's laughing at me…"

"For what?" Scorpius asked.

Al muttered something unintelligibly, blushing even darker.

"Come again?" Scorpius said.

"For being a- you know…" Al replied, not wanting to finish his statement.

"For being a _what_? A Potter? A Slytherin? A bookworm? A _shrimp_?" Scorpius said, raising an eyebrow at him, "You're going to have to elaborate a bit, Al."

"For being a _virgin_! Merlin's balls, Scorpius! Dense much?" Albus exclaimed.

"Is that all? It's not big deal," Scorpius said.

_Besides, I was only laughing because you looked like a large tomato when finally admitted it,_ Ivy said.

_Shut up, you, _he said.

She slithered up to him, raising herself until she was eye level with him, and licked his cheek apologetically. _I am sorry that I upset you, Little One. I sometimes forget how sensitive you are._

He sighed. _Alright. You should go and hunt, now. I'm pretty sure we're just going to sleep._

_Very well. I shall see you sometime tomorrow, Little One,_ she said, slithering away.

"Are you two better?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah. She went to go hunt," Al replied.

"I see," Scorpius said, "So… do you want to just go to bed?"

Al yawned. "Yeah. Heh. I suppose I _am_ rather exhausted…"

Scorpius smiled. "Right. Bed it is, then."

He joined Albus on the bed, lying back and pulling the boy with him. He drew the blanket up around them, turning out the lights, and held Al close. Soon after, he could hear soft snores, telling him that Al was asleep, and he soon followed, drifting into a sweet, comfortable slumber.

XXXASSXXX

Hahaha! Finally this chapter is typed! Blimey! You have no idea how long it took for me to actually force myself to sit and type this up! Well… actually you do. Lol. I hope you enjoyed it and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.

P.S. Ashley, aka ladyslytherclaw on other sites I don't know how long this story is going to be, but it's nowhere NEAR finished. I admit that I'm a bit of a conflict whore, so there will be plenty of that in this story to draw it out. Lol. Think of it like this. This chapter was the end of the first notebook. I have another notebook already written in and it's almost full. And even with that it's STILL nowhere near finished. It's gonna be a long one….


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related. I make no money from this endeavor.

A/N: And here we are! At chapter four! FINALLY!

~IV~

Albus woke to the peculiar sensation of being wrapped in somebody's arms. He rolled over to face Scorpius and smiled. The blonde looked so serene when he was asleep. He spent several minutes watching him sleep before the previous night's embarrassing events came rushing to the front of his mind. He blushed and groaned, falling back onto the bed and covering his face with his arm.

'_He probably thinks I'm really immature…'_ Al thought, _'I just- never really got the nerve to… do anything like that… not after James…' _He shuddered a bit at the memory. _'Jeez! I'm so lame…'_

"You're so adorable," Scorpius said, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Wha- _what_?!" Al stuttered.

Scorpius kissed him lightly. "You're adorable. It's true, y'know."

Al blushed. "O-oh…"

Scorpius grinned. "I think we missed breakfast."

"I _know_ we did! My stomach is trying to eat itself," Al said, grimacing, "Can we ask the house elves to bring us something?"

Scorpius snapped his fingers. "Mitsy!"

"Yes, Young Master?" Mitsy said when she appeared.

"Could you please bring me and Al some breakfast?" Scorpius said.

"You will be eating _here_?" Mitsy asked, looking a bit scandalized at the request.

"Yes. Please be quick about it," Scorpius said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, Young Master," she said, and was gone.

"Are you not supposed to eat in your room?" Al asked.

"Well, my grandfather says it's not proper, but Dad and Grandma say that in casual situations propriety is unnecessary," Scorpius said, shrugging, "Personally, I think it's an overrated concept."

Al nodded, grinning.

Before breakfast, Al went back to his room to get dressed. Isis was there, looking rather angry at him for not coming back the previous night. He fed her some snacks to apologize and she nipped his fingers affectionately. He made up his mind to sit down later and write a reply to Gabriel, and to write to Andy, Julian, and Liz.

When he reentered Scorpius' room, the blonde was sitting on his bed, looking at something intently. When Al walked closer, he saw that it was a letter.

"Who's that from?" he asked.

"Professor Illusen," Scorpius replied, "Apparently he was rather worried about you, so he contacted your dad. He found out that I'd made you cry and wrote to reprimand me for being a stubborn, insensitive git. His exact words." He smirked.

"Oh jeez… I'm sorry, Scorpius. I'll write to him later and let him know that everything is fine," Al said, "I can't believe he'd write to you."

"It's fine. I'm glad you've got so many people to look out for you," Scorpius said, smiling as he set the letter aside.

"Yeah, you won't be when the rest of my family finds out about this," Al said, smirking.

"It can't be that bad," Scorpius said skeptically.

He quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well, let's see. There's my grandma and grandpa, my dad, Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, Uncle George, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Victoire, Teddy, James, Lily, Hugo, Rose, Fred and Arthur… Uncle Percy is kind of indifferent… but on top of them, there's Gabe and Ryan, and Neville and Luna, and about a million more of my dad's friends…"

"Alright! I get it! I'm in over my head with your relatives and close family friends," Scorpius said, laughing.

Al smiled. "Still think it's worth it?"

"Definitely," Scorpius said, standing up and walking over to him, "Besides… I don't want to make you cry again."

He blushed. "You- I wasn't _crying_."

Scorpius laughed again. "Okay. Whatever you say."

"Shut up!" Al said, punching him lightly, "Can we please just eat?"

After their late breakfast, they decided to go back to the stables. Albus was ecstatic about seeing Seafire again. They rode, first, hard and fast, racing around the grounds at breakneck speeds, doing something that Scorpius called "breezing". The blonde was still amazed at how natural Al was, seeming to move effortlessly with the large animal, in perfect sync, as though he'd been doing it his entire life.

When they tired of racing- mainly because Scorpius was tired of being "beaten by an amateur"- they slowed the horses to a much slower gait, strolling through the gardens. They talked about Ginny for a little bit, but Scorpius could tell that it was upsetting his boyfriend and so moved the topic of conversation to something safer. Quidditch. He made fun of Albus _mercilessly_ for liking the Chudley Cannons, despite the fact that their game had improved exponentially since Harry and Ron's Hogwarts years, and assured the boy that Bulgaria was going to win the World Cup.

When they finally went inside, Draco was waiting for them.

"Dad? Did you need something?" Scorpius asked.

"Albus, you're father is here," Draco replied.

"Really? Where is he?" Al asked.

"I left him in the parlor," Draco said, grinning, "Come on…"

They followed Draco to the parlor, where Harry was sitting in an armchair with a snifter of brandy. When they entered the room, Harry looked up and smiled.

"I see you two made up," he said.

Al blushed. "Er… yeah…"

Draco and Harry exchanged a knowing look.

"So, what're you doing here, Dad?" Albus asked.

"Can't a guy check on his son without getting the third degree?" Harry joked.

Al raised an eyebrow at him.

"Bloody Slytherins…" Harry grinned, sighing, "I just wanted to let you know that- James, Lily, and I will be staying with Ron and Hermione for a while."

"Why?" Al asked.

"Maybe you should sit down, Al," Harry said, suddenly very serious.

Albus sat down with Scorpius on the sofa and Draco took a seat in the other armchair, silently offering his support to the pair.

Harry sighed again. "Your- Ginny sent me the divorce papers this morning. She wants the house, so I decided not fight and gave it to her. We have plenty of money anyway. However…" He paused, hesitant about continuing.

"What? What is it?" Albus said, "Come on, Dad, just say it."

"She- wants nothing to do with you, and James is nearly nineteen, but- she plans of fighting for custody of Lily. Since Lily's fourteen, she can choose who she wants to stay with though…"

"Then what are you worrying about?" Draco asked.

"Lily was always really close with Mum. She'll probably go with her," Al said, "What does the rest of the family think of this? Do they all hate me now, too?"

"No. On the contrary. They're all rather disappointed in Ginny. Especially Grandma Molly. She was absolutely livid when she found out how Ginny acted on the platform," Harry said, smiling, "They wanted me to tell you that they're all behind you one hundred percent. Even Ron."

Al sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin…"

"And… Lily… I don't know, Al. It's hard to tell with her right now. It's pretty much up to her and- who knows?" Harry said, "We'll just have to deal with her choice, right?"

Albus nodded.

"So, you're staying with Weasley?" Draco said.

"I'm staying with _Ron_, yes," Harry said smirking, "We're mature enough to move on to first names, don't you think?"

"If you insist…" Draco said, "But… don't they have- what? - four children?"

"Five. What's your point?" Harry asked.

"I'm not trying to insult them, but if they've already got seven people in their house, won't it be cramped if you add three more?" Draco said.

"I've got nowhere else to go. Molly and Arthur are already busy enough without us there," Harry said.

"I'm trying to say that you should just stay _here_. I've only got about a hundred spare rooms," Draco said, "It wouldn't be any trouble at all."

"Are you- sure?" Harry said.

"Can they really?" Albus asked.

Draco nodded.

"I suppose if it's no trouble… then I'll just let Ron and Hermione know that we've found another place to stay," Harry said, "But just until I find a new house."

"Of course. Do you think I'd house a family of Potters forever?" Draco teased, making Harry laugh.

Al smiled, but Scorpius could tell that he was still worrying about his little sister. He wrapped an arm around the boy's waist and pulled him close. Al looked up at the blond in shock.

"They'd have to find out sooner or later," Scorpius said.

Al blushed, but nodded and leaned against him, sighing.

Harry and Draco chuckled. "About bloody time," they said.

"Do we need to give you two some privacy?" Harry teased.

Draco snorted. "According to the portraits, they got enough privacy last night. Honestly… until you're old enough to perform your own Silencing Spells, you should practice some discretion."

Albus' face felt like it would burst into flames. He buried his face in Scorpius' shoulder.

"Dad…" Scorpius growled.

Harry laughed.

"Sorry, Son, but… it's your own fault," Draco said, then with a sadistic smirk, he added, "You're the one who fell for a screamer."

Harry choked on his brandy. "Al?! It was _Al_ who was- bloody- I didn't want to hear that… about my own _son_…"

Draco laughed. "Grow up. It's only sex."

Al groaned. "Subject change? Please?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Sorry, Al. I'll take it easy on you next time."

Albus looked up and glared at the blonde. "There won't _be_ a next time if you don't shut your bloody gob," he growled.

Scorpius sensed the truth of this statement and thought it prudent to do as he was told.

"Well!" Harry said, grinning and standing up, "I'm going to go and get James and Lily. We've got to pack and let people know where we'll be staying, so we probably won't be back until late."

"Alright. See you later, Dad," Al said.

Harry waved as he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared.

"I'm- going to go instruct Mitsy and Oaklan to prepare three more guest rooms…" Draco said and, with a wink at his son, left the room.

"Are you angry with me now?" Scorpius asked.

Al turned his face away and refused to answer.

"Oh, come on, Al…" Scorpius sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said that in front of your dad."

Still, he got no response.

Scorpius growled. "What would you _like _me to say?"

Albus turned back to him, smiling.

"You prat!" Scorpius laughed, "You weren't angry at all!"

"No… not really," he said, kissing him sweetly, "I just like watching you squirm."

"I take back what I said earlier," Scorpius stated, smirking, "I _won't_ take it easy on you."

Al's eyes widened. "Wh- what do you mean by that?"

"Just that I'm going to make you scream even louder tonight," Scorpius replied.

"You can't! We can't!" Al said, panicking, "My dad's going to be here! And Lily and- and _James_! No… I'm sleeping in my own room tonight."

"Really?" Scorpius said, pushing Al backwards on the sofa so that he was lying on top of the boy, "Because I was hoping to make you feel even better than last night."

"B- Better?" Al stammered as the blonde began nibbling on his earlobe.

"Mm-hmm… _much_ better…" Scorpius purred, trailing kisses across Al's jaw until he reached his mouth, where he captured his lips in a hot, demanding kiss.

When they parted, Al was noticeably flushed, his breath coming in short gasps.

"H- How?" he panted.

"'How' what?" Scorpius asked, moving his attention to Albus' neck and snaking his hands up his shirt.

"How… oh God- how are you- going to…" Al sucked in a deep breath when Scorpius simultaneously bit his neck and pinched one of his nipples, "Fuck! How in the hell are you going to top last night?!"

Scorpius chuckled. "Trust me. That was barely the tip of the ice-berg…"

Al bit his lip to keep from crying out when Scorpius ground his hips downward, pressing their erections together. Even through their clothes, the sensation was electrifying. Scorpius grinned and stood gracefully.

"But, since you'll be in your own room tonight, I guess you'll just have to satisfy yourself…" he said, walking out of the room and leaving Al flushed, disheveled, and panting on the sofa.

"Damn it…" he groaned. He simply laid there for the next ten or fifteen minutes until he felt like he was more under control. Finally, he stood and went to go find Scorpius.

When the youngest Malfoy was nowhere to be found, he returned to the stables to spend time with Seafire. Afterwards, he went to lunch, where Scorpius and Draco were waiting for him. Scorpius smirked as he entered the dining room.

'_Bloody tease…'_ Al thought, glaring at him.

During the meal, Scorpius made a point of shooting seductive looks at Al every time the boy met his eye, eating his food in a _very_ suggestive manner, and running his foot up and down his leg. By the time lunch was finished, Albus was have a hard time breathing normally. Or _walking_ normally. He immediately ran to the bathroom where he took the coldest shower imaginable.

Draco looked at his son, took in the smug grin and knowing gleam in his eyes, and shook his head. "I don't even want to know…"

The day went by painfully slow for Albus. Just when he'd calm down, Scorpius would come out of nowhere with a light touch here, a suggestive remark there… at one point Al had a "chance" encounter with the blonde after he'd just gotten out of the shower. Dressed only in a towel hanging loosely about his hips.

It didn't even stop when Albus' family arrived. By the end of the night, Al was so sexually frustrated that, when everybody retired to their rooms, he locked his door, turned off the lights, and banished Ivy and Isis from the room.

When they were gone he stripped out of his clothes and flopped onto the bed, his hand dropping immediately to his throbbing erection. He wrapped his fingers around the shaft and began mimicking Scorpius' movements from the previous evening. He slung his free arm over his eyes, both excited and embarrassed by what he was doing. _Why_ had he gone his entire life without ever doing this?!

He moaned quietly, quickening his pace until his breath was coming in short, shallow gasps and pants and he was subconsciously thrusting into his own hand. The images that played in his mind only added to the blinding, frustrating arousal that had been accumulating throughout the day. He replayed last night and the encounter in the parlor, adding to it the subtle advances of the day, then the sight of Scorpius dripping wet and clad only in a towel, the smug smirk and seductive gleam in those stormy eyes…

He came then, keening loudly and all of the pressure of the day was finally released, and sighed the blonde's name. As he calmed himself, he lowered his arm and his eyes fluttered open, focusing first on the canopy of his and then shifting around the room until they landed on blonde hair, amused blue-grey eyes, and the smug smirk that had been in his thoughts just moments before.

He gasped, scrambling to cover himself. "How- how did you get in here? I locked the door."

"I'm an accomplished lock-pick," Scorpius stated, striding over to stand at the foot of the bed. He stopped Al's frantic attempts to pull the cover's up with a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't."

"Why?" Al asked, blushing brightly.

"I want to see you…" Scorpius replied, taking in the sight of Albus, bathed in moonlight, "You didn't honestly think I'd let you get away from me tonight, did you?"

"B- But… my dad- and…" Al stammered, slowly moving away from the blonde, crawling backwards until he hit the headboard, "We _can't_. They'll hear…"

Scorpius smirked, shedding his clothing. "No, they won't. I had Mitsy put up a Silencing Spell on your room before I came in."

"Really?" Albus said, swallowing convulsively as Scorpius' naked form was revealed to him. He felt his cock stir with renewed interest at the sight.

Scorpius crawled up the bed to Al, looking ever much like a cat stalking its prey, and kissed him soundly. "Really. I don't think I'd be in too good of shape if your brother knew what I was doing to you in here."

Al grinned. "Probably not…"

"Thanks for that vote of confidence…" Scorpius retorted sarcastically.

Al giggled, kissing his forehead. "Anytime!"

Scorpius smirked and, before Al could ask what was so amusing, he wrapped his hand around the boy's half-still cock. "Now, about that little promise I made earlier…"

Al moaned, biting his lip as Scorpius teasingly caressed his member, ultra sensitive from the stimulation he'd already given himself. Soon enough, he was fully aroused and he shifted slightly, achingly aware of the naked body hovering above his own.

"Please…" he whimpered.

Scorpius leaned in so that his lips were almost touching Al's ear and whispered, "Tell me what you want."

His breath caught in his throat as the warm breath ghosted over his sensitive ear. "I want to feel you… "

Scorpius smiled, drawing Albus downward until he was lying flat on the mattress. Then he pressed his body flush against the boy's smaller form, matching the moan it elicited as a response with one of his own. Al clutched at his upper arms and arched into him, rubbing their erections together and making them moan again.

"Gods, Al…" Scorpius gasped.

"That," Al panted, tightening his grip on Scorpius' arms, "I want- that. Whatever that was… I want _that_…"

Scorpius groaned, knowing that, when Al took that breathless, pleading tone, he had no choice but to acquiesce. He set a slow pace, thrusting his hips into Al's while at the same time attaching his mouth to every bit of sensitive skin he could find, sucking, biting, licking, and kissing, leaving little red marks as reminders of just who he belonged to.

Albus was writhing beneath him, moaning and mewling and begging for more… harder… faster… The pace was torture! He was sure it was killing him. Finally- _finally_- Scorpius relented and began thrusting faster, pushing the both of them higher and higher, toward that little plateau of ecstasy.

"Ah! Fuck… Scor-pius!" Al cried out, bordering on screaming as the friction and pressure became unbearable, "I can't- I'm gonna-!"

"Not yet… not yet, Al," Scorpius panted, kissing his lips gently, "I want us… to come together…"

"Scorpius…" Al mewled, trying his hardest to hold off. He was breaking out in beaded sweat and trembling with the effort of it, and Scorpius thought that, if the previous night had been sexy, then the sight before him now was downright sinful. He could feel himself teetering on the edge of completion and his thrusts became more forceful, turning frantic and hurried. Al's short nails were digging into the flesh of his upper arms and somewhere in his mind he was vaguely aware of the pain, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the boy beneath him and the elusive, yet assuredly mind-blowing orgasm that danced just barely out of his reach.

Al felt tears of frustration slip from the corners of his eyes. He couldn't hold on for much longer. He leaned up, kissing Scorpius firmly, biting the other boy's bottom lip as he pulled away. He rested his forehead against the blonde's shoulder, still trembling, and curled his arms around the strong back, as if trying to anchor himself.

"Please… please… please…" he whimpered, repeating it like a mantra. He bit down on Scorpius' shoulder, close to his neck, and raked his nails down the blonde's back, squeezing his eyes shut.

That was it. Scorpius lost it and came at the same time that Al's control snapped and the boy screamed Scorpius' name as he, too, finally climaxed, shuddering almost violently and clinging tightly to the boy above him. They collapsed onto the bed, uncaring of the sticky mess on their stomachs and chests, and Scorpius held Al's still trembling form, whispering words of affection and approval in his ear.

"Come on, love…" Scorpius said, keeping his voice low, "We should go clean ourselves up."

Al shook his head.

"Why not?" Scorpius asked.

"My legs… I don't think they'll move…" he whispered, blushing.

Scorpius chuckled, standing and pulling on the robe he'd thought to bring with him. "Well, then I'll just have to carry you. Because there's no way we're sleeping in the state we're in."

Al sighed, sitting up and supporting himself on shaky arms. "I can't wait until you're seventeen. Then you can just wave it away… and there won't be all of this moving."

He attempted to get out of the bed and, just as he'd predicted, his legs gave out beneath him. Scorpius caught him quickly, smiling, and helped to wrap him in his own robe before picking him up bridal style with little effort. Al blushed and squealed in surprise.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"I said I'd carry you, didn't I?" Scorpius replied, grinning at him.

"I didn't think you were _serious_…" Al said.

"Besides, we're just going over to my personal bath," Scorpius said as he pulled the door open and stepped into the hall.

"Are we sleeping in your room again, then?" Al asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Only if you want to," Scorpius said, situating Albus so that he could open the door to his room, "Doesn't matter to me."

"I like your bed better. It's softer…" Al said, smirking impishly, "Maybe I should just bring my things in here."

"Prat…" Scorpius said fondly, kicking the door shut. Neither had been aware of the pair of eyes that had watched them with shock.

They bathed at a lazy pace, both just enjoying the relaxing warmth and taking comfort in the other's company. Al was still little shy and self-conscious, and kept himself mostly submerged in the cloudy water. Scorpius, however, was the human embodiment of confidence. Al took every opportunity to observe Scorpius in the bathtub. The fluid grace of his movements, the flexing of the muscles in his arms and back as he washed, the athletic, toned build and masculine features, and the light dusting of fine blonde hair on his chest, as well as the small trail leading to below the surface of the water.

He looked up and blushed when he met Scorpius' amused gaze. He looked away quickly, embarrassed that he'd been caught staring. "Sorry…" he muttered, "I just…"

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"I didn't get to see you very well- earlier… it was too dimly lit in my room," Al replied.

"That's nothing you need to apologize for," Scorpius said, grinning.

Al mumbled something, sinking lower into the water.

Scorpius laughed. "You know… in all fairness, I didn't get a very good look at _you_ either."

Al looked up at him sharply. "What?"

The blonde smirked. "Stand up. You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"But… I'm too skinny…" Al said quietly, "And- I look like a girl… I'm nowhere near as handsome or sexy as you."

"That's enough, Al!" Scorpius growled, wading over to him, "You're perfect. In every sense."

Al found himself being drawn upward until the water reached his bellybutton and into a fierce kiss. When Scorpius pulled away, he blushed again.

"You sneaky bastard…" he hissed with no real venom.

"Just let me look at you… I've already told that you're beautiful," Scorpius said, taking in the slim, lithe figure, the delicate neck and shoulders, the slim waist, the big green eyes framed by long, dark lashes, perfect, full lips, currently pouting quite adorably, and the toned, hairless chest and abdomen. He sighed. "You may not be big and masculine, but you're perfect. Exactly as you are."

Al smiled shyly. "R- Really?"

Scorpius kissed his nose. "Really…"

"Thanks…" he said, looking down. It was then that he noticed the little red, crescent shaped marks on the blonde's arms and the large, painful looking bite mark on his shoulder. He gasped, looking up at him. "Did- _I_ do that?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Yeah… don't worry about it, though. They don't even hurt."

"They look pretty deep…" Al said, examining them closely, "What about your back? Let me see…"

Scorpius turned around, sighing. He winced when he heard the startled gasp. "That bad?"

"I'm sorry…" Al said.

Scorpius turned back to face him. "It's my own fault for asking you to hold back," he stated, drawing Al against his chest, "Besides… I kind of liked it."

Al blushed, but wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist. "Masochist…"

Forty minutes and a quick snog later found them lying comfortably in Scorpius' bed, Scorpius holding Al tightly in his arms. Al snuggled closer and sighed.

"… love you, Scorpius," he whispered quietly.

Scorpius smiled. "I love you, too."

~IV~

Well… this is another rather long chapter, isn't it? I'm just rocking this whole story! Lol. Not to sound cocky or anything… ^_^ Please review! Chapter five is nearly ready to be proof-read and typed up, so be ready! It's gonna be a zinger! But only if you REVIEW!


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